Finally
by SAMartin
Summary: Josh and Andi talk, while Donna rests. SPOILER WARNING - Season 5 Finale spoilers - handle with care!


Title: Finally  
**Author:**S A Martin   
**Synopsis:** Josh talks to Andi while Donna rests.  
**Characters:** Josh, Andi and Donna  
**Rating:** PG  
**Spoilers: ** Season 5 finale spoilers from Television Without Pity, so it's Mrs V's fault. 

* * *

Josh was completely exhausted. He had been at work since 7.15am, when news of the attack in Gaza had come through yesterday afternoon. It had taken what seemed like an eternity to find out what had happened to Donna and where she was. He'd caught a night flight to Germany; which he hadn't managed to sleep on, mainly because he kept reading Donna's emails over and over. He'd gone straight from the airport to the base hospital and had spent most of the morning sat with Donna. He'd only left the room once while the nurse drew blood, which he felt pretty bad about at the time, Donna had after all sat with him through everything after Rosslyn. The doctors, nurses and Donna herself had said she was going to be fine, he should go to his meeting; she'd still be there when he got back.   
When he got back. He sighed, ran his hands through his hair and tried to block _that_ image out of his mind.

His meeting had been strange to say the least. He wasn't cut out to be James Bond, and secret meetings in seedy German cafes really wasn't something he intended making a career out of. It went well though and he was given some interesting ideas and information to pass on. He had been feeling particularly upbeat as he bought flowers, roses of course, and headed back to the hospital. Walking into Donna's room though, seeing the tubes hanging loosely and the blood on the bed sheets, had sent panic rushing through him. No one would tell him where Donna was or what had happened. Eventually a nurse told him, gave him the news he dreaded. Donna was in surgery, she had a pulmonary embolism.

The last few hours had been a nightmare; he had no idea how Donna and his mom, and everyone else for that matter, survived his surgery and the 12 hours that followed when his life was still in the balance. Donna was in the recovery room now, the doctor assured him that she would be fine, but he won't really believe it until he took her home.

"How you doing?"

He looked up and found Andi handing him a coffee in a real mug, not a vending machine plastic cup. "Who'd you bribe to get this?" he asked, taking the steaming mug off of her.

"The nurses like me, I don't yell at them," Andi sat down next to him. "How's Donna?"

"Going to be fine apparently. Aren't you suppose to be resting?"

"I've been discharged, no real damage, just cuts and bruises. Toby's worried about you, told me to look after you."

"And I thought the coffee was 'cos you liked me," Josh smiled.

"I had to promise to stay with you, it was the only way to stop him flying out here."

"Why do you sound surprised?" Josh asked. "Toby's a good friend you know."

"Not if you're his ex-wife." Andi saw Josh about to argue and cut him off, "This is the man who has to be prompted to ask how his children are."

"Doesn't mean he doesn't care."

Andi sensed that Josh was spoiling for a fight so she nodded and smiled, before changing the subject. "Are the roses from you, in Donna's room?"

"Yeah, it's our anniversary."

"And I thought you'd finally told her how you feel," Andi teased.

Josh smiled but didn't answer, didn't tell Andi that had indeed told Donna the truth. He'd been sat watching her sleep and had brushed a stray strand of hair off her face. He had no idea why he'd chosen that moment to tell her. A room in a US military hospital in Germany wasn't exactly the most romantic setting, and it certainly wasn't how he would have planned that moment, but the words had slipped out, words that had been held back for too long. He looked at her sleeping and he didn't see the tubes and monitors, he saw only her. 'I love you,' he'd heard himself say. Her lips had curled up slightly and she'd briefly opened her eyes, 'you too,' she'd whispered before drifting back to sleep. Much as he had wanted to rejoice at those words, he still remembered the strange effects strong pain relief can have on your mind, so when Donna woke an hour later he didn't mention it. She had lay watching him for a few minutes before asking, 'What took us so long?' He smiled then, 'I have no idea,' he admitted. Shortly after that she had sent him off to his meeting, told him she would be fine. And then this.

He sensed Andi watching him. "When you going home?" he asked.

"Tomorrow. What about you?"

"I'm going to stay a while, unless Leo really needs me there. Donna's parents are flying out so I want to stay at least until they get here."

"I'm pretty sure you must be owed some time off, Josh. Leo's going to let you stay, he'll understand," Andi assured him.

Josh nodded, but he was fairly certain Leo wouldn't like the idea of him staying in Germany until Donna was well enough to go home. He sighed at that thought; home will probably mean her parents house in Wisconsin, not her apartment, or his, in Washington. He wasn't completely convinced Donna would be alright, and he was even less sure she was going to want to come back to work. What would he do if she didn't return to Washington? That was a thought he didn't want to even consider yet.

"You need some food," Andi told him. "Let me buy dinner."

"I want to stay here."

"They'll phone you if anything happens, they're all too scared of you not to. We'll eat on the base, you'll be a couple of minutes away." She saw him about to argue. "You're no good to her if you're ill. Do I have to get someone to call Abbey?"

Josh shook his head. "CJ's already threatened me with my mom," he smiled. "Yeah okay, just let me check on her again then we'll go."

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"Your mom and dad will be here in an hour," Josh told Donna the following morning.

"They didn't have to come all this way. I'm fine."

"Well, leaving aside the fact that you're in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and monitors," Josh smiled, "they're your parents, they're hardly likely to want to stay away."

"Do you know how much plane tickets costs?"

"The government's paying."

Donna stared at him, "Seriously? I'm not that ill." Although she was trying to be insistent, Josh couldn't help notice the hint of fear in her voice.

"You'll be fine."

"Really? You would tell me?"

"Donna. According to Andi, the doctors and nurses are scared of me," Josh smiled, "so they wouldn't dare lie to me. And you know I wouldn't dare lie to you."

Donna studied Josh's face, and liked what she saw. He was watching her intently, with a slightly amused glint showing through the concern in his eyes. She smiled and relaxed.

"Of course there is some bad news," Josh teased. "Leo says I should stay a few days, be the representative here. So you'll have to put up with me a while longer."

"Wow, you go from politician to secret agent boy to ambassador."

"I'm multi talented," Josh grinned.

"Not something I've noticed before," Donna smiled sleepily. "What you said yesterday, did you mean it?"

"Every word."

"Good."

A nurse entered the room and nodded at Josh. "I'll let you get some rest" 

"I love you, and don't worry too much. I lied yesterday, I felt crap, this time I really do feel fine."

He bent down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'll meet your parents and bring them back. I'll see you in a couple of hours."

Josh walked out of the room, down the corridor and found a payphone. First he called Sam, then CJ and Leo and then his mom. He assured them all that this time Donna really was fine. He told him mother one more thing though, he told her that he finally admitted his feelings to Donna.

In her room Donna drifted back to sleep, thinking of the future, which she was fairly certain now included Josh. She realized work would be a problem, but at that moment she didn't care, was just glad to have Josh finally know how she felt. When the nurse checked on her five minutes later she found her peacefully asleep with a faint smile on her face.

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END  
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End file.
